Artichoke Community Music
Artichoke Community Music is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1973 in Southeast Portland that operates a live music venue, music school, and folk-instrument retail store serving local musicians, students, families, and the Portland folk/blues community through ticketed events, classes, instrument sales, and donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1973
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Artichoke Community Music does
Artichoke Community Music is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1973 and headquartered at 2007 SE Powell Blvd in Southeast Portland, Oregon. The organization operates an integrated community music center comprising three core functions: a live music venue with approximately 50 seats and standing capacity, professional PA, stage lighting, and video streaming capabilities; the Artichoke School of Music, which offers group classes and workshops across instruments (guitar, banjo, ukulele, fiddle, harp, harmonica, piano, bass, drums, dobro) and disciplines such as songwriting and voice for beginner through advanced students; and a folk-instrument retail store (Thursday–Sunday, 12pm–9pm) stocking guitars, mandolins, banjos, hammered and mountain dulcimers, autoharps, harps, world instruments, percussion, strings, accessories, and books. The store also runs a consignment program that returns 80% of sale proceeds to consignors.
The business model is a diversified nonprofit revenue stack rather than a single pricing model. Revenue is generated through ticket sales for live performances and open mics (sold via Eventbrite), venue rental to local musicians and bands, music class and workshop tuition, retail hardware sales, instrument consignment commissions, and donations. Donations are accepted as one-time or recurring gifts (weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual) through PayPal and Patreon at preset tiers of $10–$40 plus custom amounts, and are amplified by an Oregon Cultural Trust partnership that provides state tax credits to matching donors. Institutional funding flows from the Oregon Arts Commission, Miller Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation, SBA, and the Holler Fund.
The organization is volunteer-governed: paid staff is limited to an Executive Director/Booker (Leah Mócsy), Store and Venue Coordinator (Eddie Michael), and Store Employee (Kyle Keilman), with an 8-member Board of Directors (President Bob Lyon, Secretary Hank Hazen, Treasurer Cynthia Langlykke, plus members Woody Moran, George Thompson, Chris McMurty, Tom Luba, and Emeritus Eric Maxen) and a distributed instructor base that includes award-winning performers. The technology stack is intentionally minimal—Eventbrite for ticketing/registration, Hive.co for email marketing, PayPal and Patreon for donations, and a Squarespace-hosted website. Marketing runs through community partnerships, social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), the email newsletter, and word-of-mouth within the Portland folk and acoustic music community. The stated mission is "Building community through music, one heart at a time."
Artichoke Community Music firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Artichoke Community Music
- Legal name
- Artichoke Community Music
- Website
- https://artichokemusic.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1973
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Artichoke Community Music is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1973 in Southeast Portland that operates a live music venue, music school, and folk-instrument retail store serving local musicians, students, families, and the Portland folk/blues community through ticketed events, classes, instrument sales, and donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Artichoke Community Music industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Music Center
- NAICS
- Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Performing Arts & Music Lessons (Dance, Drumming, Instrument Lessons, Theater) (THAJAKAC)
Keywords
Where Artichoke Community Music is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Artichoke Community Music business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from live music events, concerts, and performances at the venue. Tickets sold through Eventbrite platform.
- Venue Rental: Booking revenue from renting the venue space to musicians and bands for performances.
- Retail Store Sales: Sales of folk instruments (guitars, ukuleles, mandolins, banjos, fiddles, autoharps, hammered dulcimers, mountain dulcimers, harps, world instruments, percussion), strings, accessories, and books. Store operates Thursday through Sunday, 12pm-9pm. Proceeds support nonprofit mission.
- Music Classes and Workshops: Revenue from music lessons and workshops taught by instructors covering various instruments including guitar, voice, banjo, fiddle, harmonica, harp, songwriting, and more. Classes range from beginner to advanced levels.
- Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Accepts one-time, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual donations via PayPal and Patreon. Oregon Cultural Trust partnership allows state tax credit for donors.
- Consignment Sales: Accepts instruments on consignment, giving consignor 80% of sale price. Helps support nonprofit while providing sales channel for community musicians.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Donation amounts for supporter contributions |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Event tickets sold through Eventbrite |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Venue rental for performances |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Artichoke Community Music product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Artichoke Community Music is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community music center in Southeast Portland that has operated since 1973. It runs three integrated programs: a live music venue hosting performances, open mics, and community events; the Artichoke School of Music offering private and group lessons across a wide range of folk and acoustic instruments; and a retail instrument store specializing in folk instruments, strings, accessories, and books. All proceeds support the nonprofit mission of building community through music.
Product overview
Artichoke Community Music is a nonprofit community music center consisting of three core offerings: a live music venue hosting performances and events since 1973, the Artichoke School of Music providing classes and lessons for all skill levels, and an instrument retail store specializing in folk and acoustic instruments. These three components work together to fulfill the organization's mission of building community through music.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Artichoke Music Venue A nonprofit live music venue in Southeast Portland hosting diverse performances, open mics, jams, and community events. Features a full PA system, stage lighting, video streaming capabilities, and accommodates 50+ attendees with standing configurations available by request. Venue booking is open to local musicians and bands.
- Artichoke School of Music
- Artichoke Music Store
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 50 years of continuous operation as community music center
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Artichoke Community Music
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Artichoke Community Music technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Artichoke Community Music partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.
- Oregon Cultural TrustcoreOregon Cultural Trust provides state tax credits to Oregon residents who match donations to Artichoke Music with donations to the Trust, incentivizing charitable giving to support arts in Oregon.
- Oregon Arts CommissionmajorState arts agency providing support and recognition for arts organizations in Oregon.
- Cascade Blues AssociationcoreRegional blues music association supporting blues music in the Pacific Northwest.
- River City FolksupportingCommunity organization supporting folk music in the Portland region.
- Music PortlandsupportingOrganization supporting Portland music scene and musicians.
- EventbritecoreTicketing platform used to sell tickets and manage registrations for live music events, classes, and workshops.
- Hive.cosupportingNewsletter and marketing platform used for email communications and marketing automation.
- PayPalsupportingPayment processing platform used for accepting online donations.
- PatreonsupportingCrowdfunding platform for ongoing supporter contributions and membership-style support.
- IVC (International Volunteer Cooperation)supportingInternational volunteer cooperation organization supporting nonprofit arts sector.
- NIVA (National Independent Venue Association)supportingNational association supporting independent performance venues.
- OMNIsupportingArts support organization listed as community sponsor.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Artichoke Community Music competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Ark: Ann Arbor, MI nonprofit folk music club and concert venue. Directly comparable as a long-running nonprofit listening-room venue focused on folk, roots, and acoustic traditions.
- Passim: Cambridge, MA nonprofit folk music club and school. Directly comparable as a nonprofit combining an intimate folk venue with music education programs in a single community.
- Old Town School of Folk Music: Chicago-based nonprofit folk music school, venue, and community center. Most directly comparable peer — same three-pillar model (classes, performances, retail) and nonprofit community mission focused on folk and traditional music.
- Elderly Instruments: Lansing, MI family-owned retailer specializing in folk and acoustic instruments, accessories, and books. Directly comparable on the retail pillar — long-running specialty folk instrument store with deep community roots.
- Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse: Berkeley, CA nonprofit folk and roots music venue offering concerts and music education. Comparable nonprofit venue + community music programming model serving the folk genre in a single regional market.
Broad incumbents
- School of Rock: National franchise music education provider. Broader incumbent operating at scale across multiple genres with a performance-based pedagogy that overlaps with Artichoke's school pillar but lacks the folk specialization and nonprofit model.
- Folk Alliance International: National nonprofit service organization for the folk music field. Broader incumbent operating across advocacy, conference, and network-building rather than as a single venue/school/store.
- Sweetwater Sound: Large national retailer of musical instruments and pro audio gear with strong customer education content. Comparable on the retail pillar but at vastly larger scale and broader genre focus.
Regional players
- Cascade Blues Association: Portland-area nonprofit supporting blues music in the Pacific Northwest. Regional partner and adjacent community organization supporting the same local roots-music ecosystem Artichoke serves.
- Music Portland: Portland-based nonprofit supporting the local music scene. Operates in the same geographic market with overlapping mission of supporting Portland musicians, though focused on broader advocacy rather than venue/school/retail operations.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Artichoke Community Music social profiles
Digital presenceArtichoke Community Music financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Artichoke Community Music leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Artichoke Community Music funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Artichoke Community Music M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Artichoke Community Music
What does Artichoke Community Music do?
Artichoke Community Music is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community music center in Southeast Portland that has operated since 1973. It runs three integrated programs: a live music venue hosting performances, open mics, and community events; the Artichoke School of Music offering private and group lessons across a wide range of folk and acoustic instruments; and a retail instrument store specializing in folk instruments, strings, accessories, and books. All proceeds support the nonprofit mission of building community through music.
Is Artichoke Community Music a public or private company?
Artichoke Community Music is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Artichoke Community Music founded?
Artichoke Community Music was founded in 1973. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Artichoke Community Music based?
Artichoke Community Music is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Artichoke Community Music make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are venue Rental, retail Store Sales, music Classes and Workshops, donations and Fundraising and consignment Sales.
Who are Artichoke Community Music's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Ark, Passim, Old Town School of Folk Music, Elderly Instruments and Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse. Broad incumbents are School of Rock, Folk Alliance International and Sweetwater Sound. Regional players are Cascade Blues Association and Music Portland.
Does Artichoke Community Music have an API?
No public API is recorded for Artichoke Community Music.
What industry is Artichoke Community Music in?
Artichoke Community Music's product category is Community Music Center. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAD, Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations, with a secondary code of BPAGAHAC, Arts Education & Community Arts Programs. Its NAICS code is 71 and its SIC code is 7900.